Meet Avery Reed | Illustrator & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Avery Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Avery, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
I am a new parent, so I will not claim any one most important thing I have done for my child quite yet. But I do firmly believe that pursuing my dream to be an illustrator–taking risks, going to grad school, quitting jobs, and giving it my all–is one of the biggest investments I’ve made, not only in myself, but also in my child.

I knew early on that if I ever were to be a mother, I wanted to be one with a full sense of self, developed interests, dreams, career. And that by investing in my art, I was investing in my daughter’s future as well–showing her what it means to be a strong, grounded woman, curious about the world and caring for those around her.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an illustrator who loves to tell stories. My main work is illustrating children’s stories, but I also do some editorial work for magazines and create art and patterns for products. I work in ink and pencil mostly, creating traditional drawings and textures and then digitally collaging them. I love to use printmaking techniques in my work and typically use a limited color palette.

It was not easy! I don’t think it’s easy for any creative. There are so many obstacles to overcome–finances, the blank page, that dreaded inner voice! But I have been so fortunate to have people at each step show me the way and encourage me to keep going.

For over seven years, I taught art to elementary-age students. They were the best teachers. Anytime I’d feel hung up on my skill level or down on myself, I’d just talk to my inner second grader the way I talked to my actual second graders. It’s easy to tell an eight-year-old to keep going, to keep practicing. You know they are at the very beginning of the skill development. And so I started to treat myself with that same kindness and encouragement. And it helped so much.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So many favorite spots! If weather permitted, we would bike everywhere. In college, I used to rollerblade the city at night. And it was such a fun way to experience it. But now, I bike, and it similarly gives you a whole new vantage point of the city.

I would definitely choose a museum (which one would depend on the exhibit–right now, it’d be to see the Alex Katz show at the Guggenheim). And if we were biking, we’d hop on the Central Park loop after that, heading north. At the very top of the park is the most epic hill, and it is just so much fun to bike. We’d stop off in Harlem to have ice cream at Sugar Hill Creamery and a meal at Contento. I wouldn’t mind a drink at Sugar Monk, too, but this, of course, is a bit of a dream world because all three of those aren’t super close to one another.

Other favorite spots: Ruffian (a delicious natural wine bar), frisbee on the Great Lawn, and a Chinese massage in Soho.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oof, so many people to shoutout to. My husband is definitely number 1. We got married young and I was terrified of losing myself in marriage. But just the opposite happened. I am so thankful to have a supportive partner who has encouraged me to take risks and dream big. So much of what I’ve been able to accomplish has come from having a strong, supportive base.

Larissa Mellor and Jill Weinstock took a huge risk and hired me to be a Teaching Artist at the Children’s Museum of the Arts in Manhattan. And that utterly changed my life. I was surrounded by other working artists, learning to create alongside children, and fully empowered to dive deep into my own artistic practice. Before then, I had been floundering at a desk job.

And then Brendan Leach and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s MFA in Illustration. Brendan took another big risk and admitted me into the program and that launched me even further. I learned so much in my three years there, from my professors, classmates, and other illustrators in the industry. It was a rich and rewarding time.

Website: averyreedstudio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/averyreedstudio/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avery-reed-57579447/